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The Vampire Diaries Round Table: Making His Mark

The Vampire Diaries featured a break up, a hallucinatory return and one seriously bloody axe murder this week.

Indeed, with an awakened hunter in town and a shady professor wanting to know his every move, there's plenty for this week's Round Table team of Matt Richenthal, Leigh Raines, Miranda Wicker and Steve Marsi to discuss.

Matt: I'm holding a tumbler of bourbon in my hand as I type this and acknowledging two more references to Alaric. I absolutely love how the show hasn't forgotten about everyone's favorite history teacher. These small touches expose Damon's soft side... and mine, dammit! I really miss that guy.

Leigh: Elena's fight with Katherine. Considering it was a really a fight with her own psyche, it was like a schizophrenic therapy session on steroids. It was all of Elena's own thoughts, so it was really interesting to hear her admit certain things.

Miranda: Elena and Damon on the bridge. He was the only one she could actually see during her hallucinations. The only one who didn't appear to her as someone else. I have theories in my head about why this is, none of which would probably turn out to be true. Runner-ups are Alaric mentions and the hint of a Damon/Matt Bromance. Am I the only one who thinks that'd be awesome? Because I think that'd be awesome.

Steve: Matt and Miranda have already discussed the best two, so I'll go with the random, almost off-handed line by Klaus that The Five once haunted him for 52 YEARS before they "just stopped." Took the new generation of hunters quite a while to find a vampire to murder, I guess. As Damon said, Klaus is like a billion years old. Half centuries are like drops in the bucket of undead life for that guy.

More surprising: Jeremy killing Chris with an axe, Jeremy making a funny joke about killing Damon or there being a worthwhile storyline involving Jeremy?

Matt: That Van Helsing line killed me. We've been building for a bit toward Jeremy as an axe-swinging hunter... but who knew he could also crack me up? Who is this guy and what did producers do with the old Jeremy Gilbert?!?

Leigh: Don't you have to behead hybrids to kill them? Jeremy knows enough by now to do things right. I guess overall it would be Jeremy having a worthwhile storyline.

Miranda: Jeremy killing Chris with an axe. I thought his weapon of choice was the meat cleaver. But really? They had the element of surprise on their side and Jeremy's first kill couldn't have been a good, old fashioned stake-to-the-heart? Lame.

Steve: He really was killing it last night in many respects. Glad Jer is finally getting a storyline - arguably the show's most intruging one no less. So many directions this could go in.

Will you miss Chris?

Matt: Yes. Can we just move on? I can't talk rationally about losing him yet.

Leigh: Who?!? Just kidding. I think Caroline needs to care a little more about Tyler and Hayley in mourning. Everyone is always trying to save Elena. Other people suffer losses, too!

Miranda: I shed exactly no tears. Someone had to die and it obviously wasn't going to be one of our main vamps. Sorry, Chris. It was for the greater good.

Steve: I feel bad for the guy and all, but the writing was on the wall. Or Jer's wrist. Epitaph: R.I.P. Chris, The First of Many Supernatural Beings Dispatched In The Name of Young Gilbert's Mark Filling In.

React to Elena splitting with Stefan.

Matt: It was very well done. I think we all grew tired of the love triangle last year, but Elena's turn had already freshened it up on The Vampire Diaries Season 4. I was shocked here by how open and honest she was with Stefan. An adult, mature, sensible conversation?!? It looks like Elena learned something from Hayley about teen drama. She doesn't have time for it at this point and had to just cut to the Damon-loving chase.

Leigh: Natural progression. They love each other but it wasn't working anymore. It would've been unfair for Elena to stay with Stefan when she knew she had feelings for someone else.

Miranda: YES! FINALLY! Sorry. I've been waiting for them to break up so we can have more hot balcony scenes with Damon and Elena. Stefan and Elena haven't sizzled for me outside of The Vampire Diaries Season 1, but Damon and Elena? The hotness. It burns.

Steve: Unlike the overblown, underwhelming "choice" Elena struggled with throughout The Vampire Diaries Season 3, her enhanced connection with Damon has felt organic this fall, and has been integrated nicely into the season's overall narrative. I also like that they broke up abruptly last night when this could've dragged on for months. Stelena vs. Delena needs to be kept fresh in order to remain interesting.

Who should Stefan date next?

Matt: Let's just say he has a history with her; she's desperate for love; she's already lying in wait for someone to awake her from a slumber; and her name rhymes with Treebekah.

Leigh: Hmmm, let's get a sexy guest star up in here!

Miranda: Easy. Dr. Fell. Stefan likes his girlfriends human and she needs a vamp-blood supplier. It's a win-win. And then this show would be so meta it hurts.

Steve: Hayley. Tyklarolineley is just not getting it done as a Love Square. Add Stefan and make it a Love Pentagon, though? Feel the excitement.

On a scale of 1-10, how evil is Professor Shane?

Matt: I'm going as low as 1.5. I don't believe he's actually evil. His intentions are likely pure, he may think he actually has the best interests of the town in mind. But that doesn't mean he's not a danger to our supernatural heroes and heroines. (NOTE: Either that, or the answer is 49 because he's somehow Silas The Witch and just wants to live forever and everyone is screwed!)

Leigh: I'm going with 5 because I still haven't made my mind up about him yet. Need more info.

Miranda: 11.5. If I didn't trust him after seeing the map on his wall, I really don't trust him after hearing that Silas talk. And I think he witchy ju-ju'ed Bonbon with that "come to me" business. And Matt doesn't trust him. I'm thinking he's the keeper, or bringer, of the greater evil coming to Mystic Falls. Plus, an exhibit on the occult at a high school? No. That doesn't happen. Creepy creeper.

Steve: I'm with Leigh here. TVD has done a nice job of keeping us guessing with Shane; shrouding his motives, past and well of knowledge in ambiguity makes for a definitive, non-committal 5.